Considering the provisions for environmental contingencies recognized, the Arkema’s general management considers that the environmental liabilities identified at this point are valued and recognized to the best of their knowledge in the Mallarmé combined carve-out financial statements, see Note 14 - Other provisions. However, if laws, regulations or government policy in respect of environmental matters were to change, the Mallarmé group’s obligations could change, which could lead to additional costs.
Clean-up of sites
The competent authorities have made, are making or may in the future make specific demands that the Mallarmé group rehabilitate or control emissions at certain sites that it is currently operating, or that it operated or disposed of in the past, at neighbouring sites or at sites where the Mallarmé group stored or disposed of waste.
Sites currently in operation
The Mallarmé group has certain sites which are probably polluted in view of their age and the range of activities that are carried out on them, or that were carried out on them in the past. As regards to these sites, certain situations have been identified and the Mallarmé group has already carried out certain clean-up work, or otherwise developed action plans and recognized provisions in order to cover future clean-up work.
However, in the light of (i) the uncertainties over the technical means to be implemented, (ii) potential issues that are unknown, (iii) uncertainties over the actual time required for remediation compared with the estimated time (e.g. “pump and treat”), and (iv) potential changes in regulations, the possibility that the expenses the Mallarmé group will incur will be higher than the amounts covered by provisions cannot be excluded.
Additional requirement related to Porto Marghera
On October 13, 2020, Arkema Srl received from the Ministry of the Environment a draft permit relating to Porto Marghera including new requirements (primarily on air emissions, water discharge and asbestos) in the frame of the review of the plant Integrated Environmental Authorization in 2021. This could lead to a minimum cost of €0.5m mainly capital expenditures.
Labor litigation
Occupational illness (France)
In the manufacture of its products, the Mallarmé group uses and has used toxic or hazardous substances. Despite the safety and monitoring procedures that have been instituted at Mallarmé group level and for each production site, Mallarmé group employees may have been exposed to such substances and may develop specific pathologies as a result of such exposure.
In this respect, like most industrial companies, in the past, the Mallarmé group has used a variety of insulating or heat-proofing materials containing asbestos in its production facilities. Consequently, certain employees may have been exposed to such materials before they were gradually eliminated and replaced with substitute products.
At its French sites, the Mallarmé group anticipated the regulatory provisions applicable to asbestos (Decrees no. 96-97 and 96-98 of 7 February 1996 and Decree No. 96-1133 of 24 December 1996). The group made an inventory of building materials within its premises that contained asbestos, notified employees of the results of these investigations and took the collective and individual protective measures required by the applicable laws. However, claims for occupational illness related to past asbestos exposure have been filed against the group, mostly for periods before 1980. Given the latency period of asbestos-related pathologies, a large number of claims for occupational illness are likely to be filed in the years ahead.